We are called to Christ

            Jesus calls us to know and be for Him; that is to be nourished and grow, as a plant is nourished and grows.  As a plant sinks its roots deeper into the soil to receive richer nourishment, so to know the will of God we must sink our will into the depth of Christ and yield to His riches and splendor. Our relationship to Christ is not about a way of thinking or a particular theology but it is to Christ Himself.

             In knowing God's Will we must know, it must be clear, our Christian walk is not about what we do, it is about who and what we are.  Who we are in Christ! Too many of us are devoted to saying and thinking the right things, and this is important, but it is not what we are about. 

           So the question is: Are you devoted to a cause or are you devoted to the person and work of Christ?

            Jesus says in Mark 1:14-18 "Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

           The call of our LORD is simple and clear; it is to Himself first and always, and this must be if we truly want to find God's direction in our lives!

           Christ does not hand us a plan in triplicate, He hands us Himself. Would you rather have a written outline, or the King and Creator of the universe as your guide? Christ simply says "come and follow me." Martin Luther said, "I do not know the way that I take, but well do I know my guide." When I go backpacking (which I enjoy, but do very little) I would much rather have a good leader to show me the way, instead of a map! When I drive somewhere new, I tend to get lost easily, even with a "Thomas Guide" or "AAA" map.  I would rather talk to someone who can show me the way (and yes, it is a humbling experience to ask for directions as a strong willed male warrior). This should be our impulse, to follow Christ.  He will be the best guide we could ever conceivably or possibly come up with.

           Psalm 48:14 "For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even to the end."

            In seeking God's Will, we must escape the will of our society and selfish desires, and surrender our will to His. To live our life dedicated with passion and conviction for Him. And then God's will begins to unravel before our very eyes!

A Question: What would your life be like if you completely trusted God? Luke 4:16-19; John 14:1-14

THOUGHTS ON OUR CALL TO CHRIST

• Let Christ's awareness take the place of self-awareness!


• Have you allowed Christ to introduce joy to you?  Check out Psalm 48 and John 15:11.


• Beware, God may have to destroy the confidence we have in ourselves before we have confidence in Him.


• Have you persecuted Jesus yourself?  We do this by invoking our will over His!


• The purpose of discipleship is bringing us into a right relationship so we come to the knowledge of Christ's purposes over our own.


• We start our relationship with God with all kinds of requests until we realize it is the love relationship that is important.


• Where we spend the most time in our lives (especially with our thoughts) molds us to who we are.  So, do you concentrate?  On Christ, and who He is, and what  He has done?


• Our challenge is to be founded on God's purpose, not our own.


• Obedience to Christ means being faithful and trusting above all else.    

We must be a servant of Christ, to let Him mold and shape us to His

glory and purpose, and remain in this relationship!

Ó 1994, 2001 R.J. Krejcir www.intothyword.com  

Richard Joseph Krejcir, is the Director of 'Into Thy Word Ministries, 'a discipleing ministry. He is also a pastor, teacher, speaker is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California and has amounted nearly 20 years of pastoral ministry experience mostly in youth ministry, including serving as a church growth consultant.